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= THE GLASS FACTORY. =
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¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ == ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ == == ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ ======= = = ======= ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ == == ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ == ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ == ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ == == ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ ======= = = ======= ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ == == ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ == ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ BECOME STILL. ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ == ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ == == ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ ======= = = ======= ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ == == ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ == ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
*=/=~¨¨¨¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨¨¨¨~=/=*
#*=/=~¨¨¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨¨¨~=/=*#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
##¶#*=/=~¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨~=/=*#¶##
#¶#*=/=~¨¨ ¨¨~=/=*#¶#
¶#*=/=~¨¨¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨¨¨~=/=*#¶
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